The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-09-23

Where Is Robert = aud they told
me, Lnrdly thinking that / heard
them, that Robert had been sudden
~ called upon TO start to California
that morning, aud had not even
heard OF my illneSs. He sent let
ter to me- however, but | did not
see it until many weeks later.
81 grew rapidly worse, aud grad-
ually the knowledge of all outward
things passed from me. | fancy
that had a certain consciousness,
bat not of matters around me. / was
IN another state of being, III which
the person acting and Speaking-al-
ways strangely speAking-was my
self. Then came an utter blank,
from which | awOke after nearly
three weeks of oblivion, to see my
mother and the doctor standing bv
my bedside. The doctor said the
crisis was past aud l should prOba-
bly, recover, but | did not feel any
interest in what he was talking
abont.
The quiet days of cOnvalescence
followed, and the doctor, seeing
that l was very week, regarded me-
seriously, aud warnel my mother
that relapse should be carefully
guarded against. used at that
time, too, to fall into curious physi-
cal co editions that l suppose were
frances. in which | knew all that
was going on around me, from
which l did not seem TO care to
arouse myself 10y moving or speak
ing. These periods lasted longer
and longer, but they were not Ob-
served, aud as theS we're rather
pleasant than otherwise | said nOth-
lug about them.
"One morning l awoke from what
seemed TO be natural sleep, and
lay with my eyS closed listening
TO sounds hat | could not at first
interpret but slowly the knowl-
edge came 10 me that my mother
was Sobblng beside my bed. !
tried TO ask her why she was grew
ing, but | could not move OT speak.
Ihe trance was upon me. | WAS
SenSitiAe, hOwev. r., and knew that /
was lying upon hard substance
and not upon the comfortable mat
trasS of my bed. could feel, too,
very little covering over me, and
despite my eA elids hsing dOWn the
gloomy darkness OF the room could
be detected. "Where in the wO Id
have they carried me tOP |
bought.
"Preseutly l heard my mothers
voice, aud knew that she was
speaking to my cOnsin Mary, who
was stay Ing III The house with us.
"'POor Elm - she said. Il was
80 sure that God would spare her to
me. She struggled through that
dreadiui IllnesS only 10 die quietly
ia her sleep al last. 1t is very hard,
Mary"
81 have often wondered since that
| lid NOT reall> die of horror at that
moment, as | realized like u light
ming flash thai they lhoughr |
was dead and had put me in my
coffin. They were going to bury
me. / >trovt hard u speak, but the
sphinx WAS not more than l. | tried
to stir, hut thc rock OF Gihralier
might have moved aS easily. Must
my life be snOlh her-d Our ii n grave
for want OF II ii tie speech or action
now thought.
alt is hard, indeed, dear aunt
replied Mary, 'bnl HIS VIII be- done
YOn must arouse yourself. The
will close the coffin in
tew minutes. Do YOU think Robert
Mr. PurrOy be here ~
al hardly think 80 now ANSWER
ad my mOIh r, wearily. Some.
hing must have happened TO delay
him. He WAS To have arrived al
hOme yesterday, but he did not
come, aud l postponed the burial
until TO day. He had nor heard of
her death. Poor fellow The news
will nearly kill him. There is one
person in the world l think, who
owed poor EIma as dearly AZ did,
40, R0tmrt, Roberi,' / cried
With silent vOice, 'cOme quickly. !
Il you look AZ me you'll know | aIn
not dead
IL heard kuOck al the bedroom
loor. Was il RnFri ! No, il was
lnly The nnderiakrr.
"sMaS close it now, la,lleSP 2 be-
asked IN professionally mOurutul
BAT very basi0esS-likr iOnes.
"Nuboiy nut mysrlf knew that /
ms heart WAS hraIing, aud even l /
hardly knew it aS The nnd~rtaker
sp0ke. A Sec0nd ailrrwari Il 4
seemed To me that Il fhrObbed loud
IL enough Tor everybody 70 hear il.
for SOmrbo,ly rang the door bell
aud | knew as we'll that it WAS Rob-
rtt as though my sealed eyes could
have looked through brick aud
wood and mortar 10 See him stand
ing outside. Softly aud quietly he
autered the room; gravely aud
calmly be asked my mother aud
mn cOusin t0 leave him irw min
ntes alone With bis dead. he closed
the door after they had gone Out,
and, stoOpiBg over the coffin, geut.
Is kissed me. Then De started. 1
ssar,l the quick, nervous movement,
and l knew that I Was saved.
ale hastily called my mother and
he doctor Was quickly summoned
De saw ~ once that iife was not
,xtiuct, thOugh be had been just as